THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1576, 21 October 1912, Page 8

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

FURTHER CHARGES. SERENADING THE IMPRISONED MEN, (By Telegraph.—Presa Association.) Waihi, October 19, There are nineteen men now in custody as a result of the cases eince Tuesday for refusing or failing to find sureties. Chas. Opie, Chas. Gardiner, Edward Armstrong, and David . M'Ginnity were charged to-day with offensivo following up. The caws were all heard together. The evidonce was mostly in tho direction of that given in former cases, The charges against M'Ginnity and Armstrong were dismissed, while Chas. Opio and Chas. Gardiner were ordered to find sureties of .£SO to keep tho peace for twelve months. Both men elected to go to gaol. Matthew Kuluz, for using insulting language, was bound over to keep the peace in the usual sureties. Defendant elected to go to gaol. In all twentythree have gone to gaol. The road and footpath in tho vicinity of the gaol were crowded last night with womeu engaged for tho most part in serenading the imprisoned men (seventeen in, all) who were taken into custody yesterday tor declining to give a pronrse not to repeat the offence with whioh they were charged, and others who failed to find sureties. The new uniou band attended in tho earlier part of the evening, while a number remained the whole night. Included in the assemblage were some children in perambulatora.

POSITION AT HUNTLY,

A STEANGE IRONY OF FATE. Auckland, October 20. A.Huntly correspondent telegraphs that there is no change in the position. The fact that no official information has come from the federation, seems to be exercising a depression influence. By a strange irony of fate Huntly, the largest coalproducing centre in. the North Island, is likely to suffer from a coal famine. The trouble came so quiokly' that only a few far-seeing individuals' were able to lay in a: supply. Yesterday some men were riddling slack on the slack-heap, and carrying away the saved portions, which under ordinary circumstances would not be looked at. It will be a matter of only a short period until coal has to be brought in to supply household needs. Undoubtedly if no lead be given by tho federation a large number of men are prepared to break away and endeavour to form a new union. Resentment is being expressed Against the federation having got tho miners into a hole and being now unable or unwilling to help them out. The only thing; which prevents action being taken by the' malcontents is the fear lest it may be deemed cowardice to desert the. dismissed executive.

I AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS. . (By Telegraph.—Piess Aesociation.) Auckland, October 20. .The ■ position regarding the- partial strike of labourers is unchanged, but great interest centres -round to-night's meeting of watersideTS, and others which, it is understood, will, be addressed bj federation, officials. MEETING IN POST OFFICE SQUARE. AND ■ SOME INCIDENTS. : For some daya past posters have been displayed in prominent places of the city drawing the public's attention to the fact that "great mass meetings" wore- to be held by the Federation of labour. Tho first of these took place in the Post Office Square on Saturday afternoon, and tho second in a theatre in. Willis Street, last evening. ■ At the former "mass" meeting about 350 to 400 people were present. Proceedings were opened by the ■ 'Wellington Waterside Workers' Band playing a few selections; This was practically the band's first appearance in public, and, although they have only been formed about three months, they played well considering. The band was Iho forerunner of noise of a more strenuous nature, and although the meeting was called; for 2.80 p.m. it was not until about ten minutes to three that the "real business" commenced. About this time, Mr. Glover, a prominent Federationist, advanced upon the platform (an express drawn by a horse) and announced that the meeting had been called as a protest - against the gaoling of the Waihi law-breakers, and also for the purpose of telling the public the "true position (from the Federation's standpoint) in connection with the Waihi strike." Inter alia, Mr. Glover apologised for the absence of Mr. F. Curtice, president of the Wellington Branoh of the Waterside Workers' Union, through ill-health. At the close of this remarkji man from the crowd was heard to exclaim: "Go on, I saw Mm here a few minutes ago." "Sut.up," said several voices at once.

After this little episode, the chairman announced Mr. Howard. But one man in the crowd evidently thought he had as good a right, if not better, to be on the platform, or cart, as the executive officers. So Mr. Howard was not permitted to get further than- a few opening sentences. After a lot of wrangling in front, the man in question managed to mount tho "platform" and kept quiet for a minute or eo. Evidently his nrdour in certain directions got the better of him, and the next minute the crowd saw him being "handed out" over the back of the express into the safe keeping of some of the executive's friends. Mr. Howard then continued his speech, which was mainly an attack on what he styles the "capitalistic press." Then followed Mr. Eichards, who was announced as being a contractor from Waihi. This speaker told the people assembled what he 9aid was the history of the Waihi trouble, and incidentally he also seemed to get off the track in order to call the press eome "polite" names. Mr. Webb, president of the Federation of Labour, was the next speaker, and was listened to attentively for some minutes, but like the former 6penkers hi» soon .turned his attention to tho "capita' istic press." _ _

■ Last, but evidently in the opinion of some of his "faithfuls," not least, came Mr. B. Semple. What this speaker said wag practically a repetition of what he has been saying every time he has spoken in In short, he attacked The Dominion*, and , made reference in impolite terms, to other daily journals in the city. During the course- of his remarks the speaker said in a melodramatic manner, "Why, look, men, the newspapers —the capitalistic newspapers—don't even call you and your class men. They call you 'hands.' Think of it; you're not men, you're Tiands.'" Just at this moment a man (who was evidently a worker) in the crowd interjected some remark, and the speaker turned to him— one of his own class-r-and called him "a worm," etc. During the course of the- two hours and a half harangue," the crowd were very orderly, only on oue or two occasions were there any disturbances. Towards the finish, however, there were only about 200 left, most of the people who had come to seo "tho fun," as one man putit, having departed. Two resolutions were put to the casting, one of which was to tho effect that the latest batch of Waihi law-break«s be congratulated on the stand they have taken m going to gaol "for their principles.". The other was a vote of sympathy with tho relatives and friends of the miners who are missing or dead at the Mount Lyell disaster. The latter resolution was carried in silence, all hats being removed. • \ When the first resolution was put to tho meeting, thoso assembled wore asked to vote for it by holding up both hands, and afterwards those against the motion were asked to do likewise. The result was that th 6 chairman declared the resolution carried with four votes ugaihst it. He did not state the number of people, who did net Vote either way, however. These consisted of a large proportion. Durihg the afternoon a collection was taken up "to help the wives and children of the Waihi men who had been sent to gaol." It is interesting to note that it was said that the Executive Committee, through the chairman, announced that tho resolutions wore to be sent forward "on behalf of the public of Wellington." "NOT DOWNHEARTED." "We're not downhearted. We're ju=t happy, because we know we're doing the right thing." This is how Mr. R. Semple described the condition of. the Federation

of Labour at the mnss meeting nt the Empress' Theatre last night. Tho meeting was advertised for 7.30 p.m., but clid rot commence until n quarter to 8 o'clock, by which time the building was full. Mr. B. Ross, editor of the "Maoriland Worker," presided, n.ud there wcro also on tho platform Messrs. P. C. Webb, R. Semple, W. Richards, and J. Doweray. Before the speeches commenced, the chairman read a resolution of sympathy with the sufferers of the Mt. Lyell disaster, and tho audience rose to carry it unanimously. Mr. Webb, who was the first tipeaker, drew a picture of the forces opposed to the Federation of Labour in connection with the AVaihi strike If the workers were defeated it would mean a considerablo drop back. They must not bo defeated. If thoy were it would be the workers who would defeat them, and they would stand branded as aiders and abettors of the murder of their own class. Mr. Webb declared that during tho five months the strike had been in progress, the federation had grown stronger than ever, and the strike was not fizzling out as tho newspapers asserted. Mr. Richards announced that he was there on behalf of tho workers of Wnihi to refute the statement that the strike was a dispute between two sections of workers. He declared that the employers were at the back of the whole movement endeavouring to burst up the workers' new-found power, the Federation of Labour.

Mr. Dowgray moved a resolution (which was carried) expressing sympathy with the strikers in Mt. Ederf Gaol, and calling upon the Government to release them. His speech was mainly an attack upon the Trades and Labour Council and the United Labour party. Mr. Semple, who made tho longest speech of the evening, spoke on tho usnal lines, directing the major iportion of his attack on the Commissioner of Police and the police force generally, and referring to them in most objectionable terms. He declared that if anyone thonght they were going to frighten the workers with the police batons they were making a groat mistake. Personally, he said, he would sooner be a lizard under a stone than take the Commissioner's job, and after making sundry other references to the force, he concluded by saying: "I won't say any more abont those fellows. The/re not worth it." On the question of a general strike, Mr. Semple said that this was something the federation had never advocated, but the strike was the only weapon left to them, and, while they did not want to punish the general public more than they could help, they might find it necessary to resort to the general strike.